F Harmonic Minor Scale
F harmonic minor runs F, G, A flat, B flat, C, D flat, E and back to F. It raises E flat, the seventh in F natural minor, to E natural. That note is directly below F on a piano.
- Notes: F-G-A flat-B flat-C-D flat-E
- Raised seventh: E natural
- Key signature: four flats
What is the changed note?
F natural minor uses E flat. Changing it to E natural makes the last step a half step. D flat to E is now three semitones, which you can hear by playing C-D flat-E-F slowly.
Do not lower D flat to D natural in this comparison; that would also change the sixth degree and move toward another minor-scale form. Harmonic minor, as a seven-note pattern, changes just the seventh.
Why does the dominant chord become major?
The chord on C in natural F minor is C-E flat-G, or C minor. Raise E flat to E and it becomes C-E-G, or C major. Add B flat to make C7. Play Cm-Fm and then C7-Fm. E can rise to F when the second pair resolves.
F minor's key signature keeps its four flats: B, E, A and D. When the seventh rises, a natural sign before E changes that one note. E flat can still appear elsewhere in the music.
Try the scale and chord together
Play F-A flat-C as a chord. Above it, play E flat-F and then E-F. Next play C-E-G-B flat before returning to F-A flat-C. The altered note is both a melodic approach and the major third of the C chord.